The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP today announced that it has established an ongoing scholarship through the American Bar Association Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund in honor of the firm’s former chairman, John W. Daniels Jr. The scholarship was launched with over $100,000 in contributions from Quarles & Brady, colleagues of Daniels and numerous other friends and clients, and the total is expected to grow. The initial total alone is the largest one-time donation from sources outside the ABA since the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund was founded.
Daniels completed his tenure as chairman of Quarles & Brady in September 2013 and now holds the title of chairman emeritus. He has received the ABA Spirit of Excellence Award among many other recognitions, including being named one of the top 50 most influential attorneys in America by the National Law Journal and Lawyer of the Year by the Milwaukee Bar Association, and he received the Legacy Award from the National Bar Association.
“It’s truly an honor to be recognized in this fashion,” said Daniels. “Creating opportunities for our youngsters to receive a great education and pursue a bright professional future is a personal mission, so I could not ask for a more satisfying acknowledgement of my commitment to a life of service.”
In fact, Daniels, a Harvard Law graduate, established his lifelong commitment to service while he was still in law school, when he was elected national vice-president of the ABA student division. During his career, he has served as both national president of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and national secretary of the ABA section of real property, probate and trust.
The American Bar Association Legal Opportunity Scholarship grants 20 incoming diverse students with $15,000 of financial assistance, awarded over the course of three years of law school. Since its inception, the scholarship fund has helped to benefit more than 260 deserving students across the nation. Funds donated in honor of John W. Daniels Jr. through an online pledge website will advance diversity in the legal profession by providing financial support to deserving students who would otherwise be unable to achieve their career goals.
“Our goal is to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to achieve their dreams,” said Palmer Gene Vance II, chair of the Council of the ABA Fund for Justice and Education. “We are excited that we have been designated to assist exceptional students across the nation, for years to come.”
“We are so proud to establish and sponsor this scholarship in honor of John,” said newly inaugurated Quarles & Brady firm chair Kimberly Leach Johnson. “We have personally experienced the powerful competitive advantages that come of diversity, so we are more than pleased to do this not only for John but for the entire legal industry.”
